back from Marruecos-Morocco

This weekend, a group of us students and my professor from my program went to Morocco. Before coming out to Spain I just learned about how close it was to Spain. I've been interested in traveling there because it is so close to have a different cultural experience. Morocco is only about an hour across the strait of Gibraltar from southern Spain. I was interested in experiencing a Muslim-Arab culture. I did expect to be culture shocked, and I did want that experience. I know some people were afraid to travel to Morocco and at one point I was advised to not go. We were lucky to gather a group of 12 students to go to Morocco on a group excursion. We took a weekend tour program of Morocco that was recommended to us. It turned out to be well worth it. It included our travel ferry to Morocco and bus in between cities, all meals, stay in a hotel, and tours. We went to places we would have never seen if we traveled on our own. Included in the program was a visit to the cities Tangier, Tétouan, and Chefchaouen. Even though the official language in Morocco is Arabic, and second French, this region of Morocco speaks a lot of Spanish because it is so close to Spain. The first day we walked the medina, city center, of Tétouan.





In this medina there was a large authentic Moroccan market squeezed into tiny walkways with mostly produce and meats. It was very different for us, because to our standards the market was dirty and unsanitary. The smells were not familiar and a bit foul. We saw live chickens in cages inside the tiny stands, right next to poultry products for sale. While passing by you would also see them killing the live chickens. I was curious to look but I would turn my head as it happened so I would not loose my appetite! People were staring at us as we crowded the alleys of the market, it is quite a crowded place to walk through. Our guide explained that we have to be careful as sometimes animals will pass through to deliver items to the market. We stopped to view the inside of a mosque but according to custom we are not allowed to enter. I think that if it were not for us being with a local, we would not have seen this place. Our guide explained to us that many people do not like it when photos are taken in the market. It seemed to be a very local-friendly place where outsiders are treated as strangers. Later in the day we had free time for shopping in Tangier where we experienced how the buying system works. It took a few times to get used to negotiating prices, but after getting good deals, it was exciting. I felt vulnerable not knowing the buying system, it is very different for me not knowing what things were worth. Using the money, Dirhams, was confusing because their numbers are so big. For example 10 dirhams is about 1 euro, and I was surprised to learn that the Dirham had a better exchange rate than the USD.
The next day we went to Chefchaouen, a small quaint Moroccan town situated in the mountains. This was my favorite town for the scenery. All the buildings in Chefchouen are painted white and blue, for religious significance. The town gets its water fresh from the mountainside where a waterfall runs through the side of town. In town there are community baths for the town residents. Many people do not have showers in their homes, so the community baths are reserved half the day for women to use, and half the day for men to use. Throughout the town there are fresh water fountains built into the town walls.
The meals included in our excursion were hearty and delicious. We got a taste of authentic Moroccan cuisine for breakfast lunch and dinner. I was quite impressed with the full meals and the quality of the food. I thought it was great the meals were included because we would not have known what to try. I feel this excursion really gave us an authentic experience for such a short time. It was not very touristy (except for riding camels!). Our guides literally referred to us as family, always making us feel welcome and a part of the culture. All in all it was totally worth the tremendous amount of time traveling, more than 12 hours one way between overnight bus from Salamanca and a ferry! I feel very fortunate to have had this experience and would recommend anyone looking for a fresh, authentic experience like this to try this excursion. I have definitely learned a lot from my experience traveling in Morocco. I can now say that I have traveled to Africa and I hope to return once again!